Floor covering



April 22, 1930. J. B. CAMPBELL FLOOR COVERING Filed June '7, 1926 IN VEN TUR.

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gunfrei) STATES Parana asics JOHN B. CAMPBELL, F SALEM, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO .CARTHAGE MILLS INCORPORATED, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORIORATION 0F OHIO FLOOR COVEBING Application ied June 7,

My present invention relates to floor coverings, and has particular reference to a iioor covering which has the characteristics of ordinary carpet to an enhanced degree,

and coordinately, my invention relates to the method of manufacturing such a iioor covering, and to the apparatus used.

Carpet generally has a woven base of coarse characteristics, such as burlap, the

wearing surface of the carpet being provided by associating with the burlap, generally by weaving, certain piling which completely covers' the burlap and which presents an ornamented or colored weari surface.

It is one of the objects o the present invention to provide a floor covering wherein a carpet wearing surface is presented, offering an increased resistivity to wear.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a iioor covering of laminated. construction, comprising a pile fabric permanently associated with a layer of felt, so that the two. form unitary parts of a floor covering.

It is afeature of my invention to employ a coarse woven materialv such asv burlap, a liner woven material such as-a pile fabric, and an intermediate layerl of material which permits the associated of the two woven materials in a manner which will produce a ioor covering of an entirely novel character.

More particularly, it is a feature of my invention to associate the top pile fabric with the lower coarse fabric by sandwiching therebetween a layer of relatively' heavy base material, such as saturated felt, to the opposite faces of which the layers of woven material are secured.

I shall hereinafter describe and'illustrate a ioor covering wherein saturated felt is so 40 used, but it will. be understood that as to certain phases of my invention the employment of this particular type of base material is not essential.

It is another object of the invention to provide a iioor covermgwhich employs a wear- 1926, Serial No. 114,062.

ing surface comprising a fabric such terry weave, whereby numerous advantages are obtained.

It is a further object of my invention to accomplish these ends by a method of manufacture which is at one time expeditious and inexpensive.

In general, my invention contemplates the association of superposed layers of materials in such a manner that the characteristics of each are instrumental in producing the desirable final effects, while at the same time a unitary or integral structure is produced which is incapable of separation.

For the attainment of the foregoing ob-- im jects and such other objects as may hereinafter appear-or be pointed out, I have illustrated one form of my invention in the accompanying drawings in which- Fig. 1 is a cross-section through va com- 65 pleted floor covering which is/illustrative of my invention; and

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic representation of the apparatus which may be employed in its manufacture.

Referring to the drawings, it will be observed thatI have associated a base layer 12 of burlap or similar coarsematerial, with a top layer 11 of relatively finer material, by the interpositioning or sandwiching of a layer of saturated felt 10. I prefer to utilize a material of the saturated felt type because of its numerous advantageous characteristics in connection with floor coverings. This type of material, as generally used in the manufac- S0 ture of iioor coverings such as oil cloth, is made from'a pulped mass having al rag and paper content in proportions which depend upon the character of base desired. For example, a base containing equal parts of rag and paper is quite satisfactory. This pulped mass is rolled into sheets of any deslred thickness, and it is generallysaturated or impregnated with some such material as bitumen or asphalt, any excess of this material being suitably squeezed out. A base of this character has body, and will tend to flatten out and cling to a floor; it is also waterproof, and acid and insect proof. Its use in the present manner is therefore particularly advantageous. It serves at one time as a suitable medium for associating the base of burlap with the top layer, as an element which imparts body and weight to the finished product, and as an insulator both as to water, moths, or insects, between the burlap base which rests upon the floor andthe pile fabric top which presents the wearing surface. For the purpose of imparting to the completed article the desirable characteristics of true carpet, and additional advantages, I employ as the top layer a pile fabric 11, this fabric being bound to the base 10 by a suitable binder which will be described hereinafter. I have found that an uncut-pile fabric, such as a terry weave, embodies certain advantageous attributes which render it particularly adaptable to my present purpose. A fabric of this character comprises a base,

and piling associated therewith in a manner which presents an outer surface of uncut threads, or loops. An outer surface of this character has lextremely high wearing qualities, due perhaps to the absence of any tendency for the piling to be worn away or loosened, and a fabric of this character is particularly adaptable for varied'ornamentation. The association of a fabric of this character with a relatively heavy base Inaterial such as saturated felt, this association being of a character which provides a unitary structure, is extermely advantageous in the carrying out of the present invention.

Ina preferred method of carrying out the invention. I associate with the opposite side of the felt base 10 a second sheet of woven fabric, preferably of a rather coarse type such as burlap 12. This sheet is associated with the base fabric 10 in any desired or suitable manner, and I prefer to utilize a binder which will permit the simultaneous association of both woven fabrics with the base material 10, during the manufacture of the floor covering. The fabric 12 imparts strength to the finished product by preventing distortion thereof, and it also serves as an extremely satisfactory ground layer or base coating which has extremely good wearin qualities for this purpose.

here I employ a saturated felt base 10, it will be understood that the binder which I subsequently employ may be constituted of the saturant itself. However, I prefer to app-ly a separate binder, and in this way I am enabled to utilize a base 10 which has either been saturated or not saturated at some previous stage of manufacture. The base 10, when saturated, is generally impregnated with asphalt of low grade. The subsequent binder which I apply is preferably ished product.

comprised of asphalt of a relatively high binder to have a melting point of approximately 180, a temperature which is seldom attained during ordinary usage of the fin- It is also desirable that the binder contain a minimum of free oil, and it is applied to the base 10 in a manner which will prevent subsequent injury to the ornamental outer fabric 11. More particularly, it is preferable to apply the binder in a heated state and thereupon permit it to cool somewhat unt-il its viscosity has been increased to a y plastic but partially dry condition. When this condition has been reached, the woven fabric layers may be applied, and any tendency for the free oils of affect either of `these layers has been minimized. This will be due to the fact that any free oil which may exist will have been absorbed by the felt base during the cooling, and due to the additional fact that the free oils are released only at high temperatures.

In a. preferred method of carrying out the invention, I lead the Vfabrics 11 and 12 in the form of continuous strips from rollers 13 and 14, and Ia lead the base material 1() in a similar state from a roller 15. These three continuous strips are eventually led into superposed position between a pair of pressure rollers 16, the base 10 being sandwiched between the woven fabrics at this time. During its course from the roller 15 to the roller 16, the strip 10 is made to pass through a binderv bath 17 wherein it is coated on bothI sides with a binder 18 of the character hereinbefore described. After leaving this bath 17, the strip 10 is preferably made to pass between a pair of rollers 19 whose function it isto remove excess binding material 18. It will be obvious that pressure members or similar means may be employed in lieu of the rollers 19. For the purpose of permitting the binder 18 to dry partially, the rollers 16 are preferably set at a distance from the rollers 19, and during the passage of the strip 10 from the bath17 to the rollers 16, the binder 18 is placed into such condition that at the time of association of the three superposed layers of material no injurious effectsupon either of the woven fabrics will be produced.

During the passage of the', three strips through the roller 16, they are mutually squeezed or pressed together, and the binder will serve to` bind them into one unitary structure. In this connection, it will be observed thatl the woven fabrics will permit of very close association withthe base material, for the reason that the binder will work its way between the strands of the woven fabric and thereby serve in a very efficient manner. Moreover, this intimate association between the binder and the Woven fabric will securely `anchor the pile threads, whether they be cut or uncut, so that the finished product will have extremely good wearing qualities.

I have thus far specifically disclosed the use of a felt as the intermediate member for woven abrio such as is generally termed in the art sheeting?, presents advantages which are not attainable Where a felt of a weight and character generally used commercially, is employed. It will therefore be understood that my invention in its broader aspect involves generally the use as the intermediate layer or member 10 of the class of material which includes within it sheeting as defined above, and also felt, and that in its more specific aspects, my' invention involves the use as the intermediate layer either of a felt material for the particular advantages which it presents or the use of a thin woven material for the advantages which such woven material presents.

While I have described in this application the use of asphalt as a binder, I do this as an exemplification of a binder which serves particularly in connection with the use of an asphalt saturated felt base. It will be understood, however, that the use of other type4 binders, such as gums, glues or silica compounds, may be found more advisable, particularly in connection with the employment of sheeting as the intermediate member, and, in fact, it is not essential to my invention to employ even with asphalt saturated felt a binder of the type herein described as employed with that material.

It will be obvious that the top fabric may be suitably ornamented either before or after its association with the other elements of the finished product. Similarly, although I have illustratively `shown one method ofcarrying out my invention, and whereas I have indicated the general characteristics of apparatus which vmay be used in carrying out my invention, nevertheless it will be well understood that many changes in the details herein described and illustrated may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in thepappended claims. It is therefore intended that these details be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A ioor covering comprising a ground layer of burlap, an intermediate layer of asphalt-saturated felt-base material, and a top layer of terry cloth, said layers being bound together by a binder comprising asphalt.

2. A oor covering comprising atop layer of uncut pile fabric, a bottom layer of a coarse woven fabric, and an intermediate layer of sheeting to which the other two are bonded.

- 3. A floor covering comprising a lower layer of asphalt-saturated felt-base material, and a top layer of uncut pile fabric, said layers being bound together by a binder comprising high grade asphalt.

In witness whereof, I have signed this specification this 3rd day of June, 1926.

JOHN B. CAMPBELL. 

